Fire Science Program Comes to CTC

The road to becoming a firefighter in Cherokee and Cobb counties along with their neighbors is about to be much more accessible. A new course in Fire Science Technology is being offered at the Marietta campus of Chattahoochee Technical College.

"This is going to greatly broaden our pool of applicants," said Woodstock Fire Marshall and Assistant Fire Chief Jimmy Eley.

Eley described previous training for would-be firefighters as scattered and inconvenient. Choices were limited to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Macon, more than 100 miles away, or being mentored by a local fire station with a dedicated training department, which many Cobb and Cherokee stations don't have.

"We don't have a training staff, we can't hire 20 people at a time like some stations can, and we can't afford to train people for six months to a year," Eley said. "In these difficult budget times, if someone quits, we hire one person to fill their spot, and we're looking for someone who already has the training."

Although fire science courses have been available on nearby campuses for years, none of them offered training complete enough for certification. Eley, who taught these classes himself, recalled having to explain basic equipment terminology to his students, even though they were taking an advanced fire safety course.

"The program they had was a two year Associate of Applied Science degree, but that didn't give you the basic training, it didn't get you to be a certified firefighter," Eley said.

Bringing a complete course home to will not only make the training more convenient, but draw valuable income which would otherwise go to Macon.

"This is going to benefit everyone," said Pat McKay, one of the course's instructors. "The money that local departments will save by not having to train individuals will be used for better equipment, new training props and better technology. It will enhance the whole department."

That financial perk will also be shared with students. With the help of the HOPE grant, which covers roughly 80 percent of the two-semester program's costs, students can expect to pay as little as $600 out of pocket, not counting supplies.

"Some of these guys were paying $10,000 to complete their firefighter certification," McKay said.

Although the Fire Science Technology Program is still in its infancy, plans have already been laid to expand and enhance in the future, including a complete training center here in Cherokee County, as well as another fire science course.

"One of our major goals that we're trying to get approved right now is called an EMT Firefighter Diploma, which means, when they graduate, they'll have Firefighter 1 [certification], Firefighter 2 [continued education], and an EMT certification. They'll be able to work anywhere in the country," McKay said.

Until then, however, new recruits can begin reaping the benefits of local education next year.

"This will allow local people to take their destiny in their own hands," Eley said, "to make career choices that they've dreamed of. Local people getting local training for a job at their local fire department."